Door controller



A. J. BAYLEY DOOR CONTROLLER May, 7, 1935.

Filed Dec. 5, 1932 IINVENTOR AETHZ/Yi JEAYLEK ATTORNEY Patented May 7,1935 PATENT? OFFICE.

2,000,57 noon CONTROLLER Arthur J. Bayley, Milwaukee, Wis.;- Allen- A.

Bayley' administrator of saidjArthurltayley,

deceased Application-December 5,

1932,. Serial. Nb; 645,705

9--Gl'ai ms. (01. 139-49) 1 This invention relates to door controllers.Modern door closers are not infrequently equipped with devices-forretaining thedoor in openposition. Such. devices, as heretoforedesigned,are ordinarily of the friction type, so that the door is ratherinsecurely retained-.and in general such, devices are incapable ofretaining the door in more than one particular position.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an improvedretainer device for-door closers which, by asimple manipulation of: thedoor, may be rendered effective to securely hold the door inany of amultiplicity of positions or released to permit the door to close: underthe action of the closer.

Another object is; the provision: in. a. retainer device of thecharacter mentioned" of temperature responsive means for automatically:releasing: the device, to thereby permit the door to closeinthe event:of fire. i

Other more specific objects and-advantages; will appear'from. thefollowing'description; of an, illusr' trative embodiment'of the present:invention.

"In the; accompanyingdrawingr- Figure 1 isa. top plan. view of: adoor'closer equipped with a retainer device constructed inaccordancewiththe. present; invention- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theretainer device.

Figs. and5-are top plan; views of the. retainersdev-ice' shown inFig. .lwith: the partsrtherer otin; difierent: operating positions;

Fig; 6- is a. sectional: View onthe line. 6E of Fig; 2. v

The; door closer shown comprisesv a; conventionalhousing in, fixed tothe door H, andsupporting. the usual spring actuated spindle I2, whichis. connectedto the door frame t3 through the actuator arm l4, loop arml5, linkr'lfi and bracket I1: 1

In this instance the actuator; arm l4 is;fixed to: the spindle I2.through an. adapter hub; I182, designed to fit that particular spindle,and removabl'y fixed to the end of the arm; and the arm I4 is rockablyconnected to the loop arm 5, preferably in a manner about tobedescribed, so that the spindle and arms normally function to close thedoor in the usual manner.

In, this instance the loop arm I5 is provided with. an end yoke I9rockably mounted upon a horizontal hinge pin carried by. a head 2!.Asquare, headed bolt 22, anchoredv in the head 2|, extends. downwardlythrough a ratchet wheel 23 and, through the. outer end. of a rockerplate 24, the bolt being tensioned by an appropriate spring25-interposed between the plate 24 and nuts 26. on the bolt. I

The ratchet wheel 23: is additionally connected to the head 2.!preferably through 'a,v fusible link 21 which normally prevents relativerotation between the ratchet wheel and head. In this instance oppositeends oithe link 21s are fixedto ears 2-8.- and 2S projecting from thehead and ratchet wheel, respectively.

The frictional engagement between the plate 24; and-ratchet wheel 23tends to resist relative rotation therebetween, and the degree of thisresistance may of. course be regulated by adjustment of the-nuts 26. l I

. 'I'heplate 24 is rockably connected with the actuator arm l4 throughappropriate means, such as a stud 30 whichextendsdownwardly from. anintermediate portion of the plate into anappropriate hub 3| on the endof the arm I4. The plate 24 thus constitutes a rockable extension, ofthe actuator arm. I I The.- rocking action between the plate 24 andactuator arm-,- I4 is limited and controlled by a link 32, which isrockably connected, as at 33, to the inner end of: the plate. An uprightpin 34, f xed to the arm, projectsinto and coacts with an irregularcamslot 35 formed in the link. The free end of the; link isprovided'with angular cam faces 36 and 31- which coact with a spring 38carried, by the arm I4 in a manner to be later described. a r

The rocker plate 24 carries a pawl 39.- pivoted at 4% and havinga tooth4| for engagement with the ratchet wheel 23. The. pawl is controlled bya pin "which projects upwardly from the arm l4 through an appropriateslot 43in the plate 24.

The pin 42 is. engaged withv and between a tail 44 onthe pawl and aspring 45 fixed to the pawl.

The arrangement is such that opening movement of 'the'door causes thearm 14 to swing counter-clockwise with respect to the arm I5 and ratchetwheel 23'. Since the rocker plate 24 is-frictionally restrained againstrocking movement with respect to the ratchet Wheel 23 and arm I 5, thearm l4 swings counter-clockwise with respect to the plate 24 during theinitial opening movement of the door; and the pin 42, carried by the arml4, acts on the tail of the pawl 39 in such direction as to pull the,tooth 4| thereof away from the ratchet wheel, and at the same time thepin 34, also carried by the arm l4, moves into the outerend46. of theslot 35 in the link 32, causing the parts to assume the position shownin Fig. 3.

During continued opening. movement of, the

door, the plate 24 and arm l4 swing, as a unit, in a counter-clockwisedirection with respect to the arm 15 and ratchet wheel, the pawl 39 andlink 32 retaining their relative positions, as indicated in Fig. 3. Inthis position of the link 32 the spring 33 bears squarely against thecam face 31 of the link.

Then if the door is released and permitted to move freely toward closingposition, by the action of the closer, the arm i4 first swings clockwisewith respect to the plate 24, so that the pin 34 leaves the outer end 43of the slot 35 in link 32 and, following the wall 4'! of the slot,engages a stop shoulder 48 in the slot, as indicated in full lines inFig. 4. During this actionthe pin 42, acting on the spring 45, shiftsthe pawl 39 slightly but not far enough to effect engagement of thetooth 41 with the ratchet wheel; The engage ment of the pin 34 with thestop shoulder.48 prevents further relative movement between thearm I 4and plate 24, so that thereafter the arm 14 and plate 24 swing, as aunit, in a clockwise direction with respect to the ratchetwheel and arml5, and the door completes its closing movement.

If it be desired, however, to secure the door in open position, theclosingmovement of the door is manually interrupted, and thereafter thedoor is given a slight opening movement from the point of interruption,followed by a closing movement. This sequence of operations shifts thetooth of the .pawl 39 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 23, in amanner about to be described, so that the plate 24 and-arm l4 are lockedagainst clockwise movement with respect to the ratchet wheel and arm 15,thereby causing the door to be locked in'the position in which thisengagement occurs. V

As above pointed out, it will be again noted that during initial closingmovement of the'door the pin 34 moves from the outer end 46 of the slot35 into engagement with the shoulder 48, and, as it follows the wall 41of the slot, it shifts the link i 32 slightly, so that the spring 38ultimately bears against the high point 49 between the cam surfaces 36and 3'! of the link in such manner as to urge the link toward the right.(See Fig. 4.) The spring 38 is ineffective to tilt the link 32 however,during closing movement of the door, by reason of the engagement of thepin 34 with the shoulder 48. But when the closing movement of the dooris interrupted and the door given a slight opening movement, the pin 34withdraws from engagement with the shoulder and the link 32 promptlyswings'into the dottedline position of Fig. 4, under the action of thespring 38. Then when the door is again released and permitted tocontinue its closing movement, the arm l4 swings clockwise with respectto the plate 24 until the pin 34 engages the inner end 59 of the slot35. (See Fig. 5.) During this further relative movement between the arml4 and plate 24, the pin 42 acts against the spring 45 on the pawl so asto urge the tooth of thepawl into engagement with the ratchet'wheel 23.When this engagement occurs the arm I4 and plate 24 are locked againstfurther clockwise'movement with respect to the ratchet wheel 23 and arm[5, and the door is thus securely held against further closing movement.

Thus by proper manipulation of the door the ratchet mechanism abovedescribed may be rendered effective to positively secure the dooragainst closing movement in any of a large number of positions betweenits fully open and completely closed position.

To release the door from a held position, the

ative to the arm I5.

door is merely swung further open until, by the consequentcounter-clockwise movement of the arm l4 relative to the plate 24, thepin 34 has again been shifted into the outer end 4'! of the slot 35 inthe link 32, and until the pin 42, act- .ing on the tail 44 of the pawl,has withdrawn the pawl from engagement with the ratchet wheel 23. Thepawl 39 and link 32 are thus returned to the positions shown in Fig. 3,and the door, when manually released, is free to efiect a completeclosing movement in the manner previously described.

7 Provision is also made for automatically releasing the doorfrom a holdposition so as to permit prompt closing thereof in the event of fire. Inthis instance this is accomplished by the use of the fusible link 21,which normally holds the ratchet wheel 23 against rotation rel- If thelink 21 is destroyed by the heat of a fire, the ratchet wheel 23 is ofcourse released and the arm I 4 is then free to swing with respect tothe arm l even though the pawl 39 and ratchet wheel are engaged.

The device hereinabove described is shown applied to a right handeddoor, but it may be readily converted for use on a left handed door byconnecting the fusible link 21 to a second ear 29' on the ratchet wheelinstead of to the ear 29; by inverting the pawl 39, link 32, and spring38; by transferring the pin 34 into a second hole 34 in the arm I4; andby similarly transferring the pin 42. 7

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the inventionhereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:-

1'. In a door controller the combination of a door closer, door retainermechanism, means responsive to manipulation of the door for renderingsaid mechanism effective to lock the door against closing, saidmechanism being releasable in response to other manipulation of thedoor, and temperature responsive means for rendering said mechanismineffective to thereby render said closer effective to close the door inthe event of fire.

2. In a door controller the combination of a door closer, door retainermechanism operable to lock the door against closing in any of aplurality of positions of the door, means responsive to manipulation ofthe door to render said mech-' anism effective in any of said positions,said mechanism being releasable in response to other manipulation of thedoor, and temperature re sponsive means for rendering said mechanismineffective to thereby render said closer efiective to close the door inthe event of fire.

'3. In a door controller the combination of a door closer having a pairof interconnected relatively movable arms, an element rockablyconnected-with one of said arms and pivotally connected with said otherarm, means for yieldably resisting pivotal movement between said elementand said last mentioned arm, a ratchet on said last mentioned arm, apawl on said element engageable with said ratchet, means responsive torocking movement between said first mentioned arm and said element forshifting said pawl into and out of engagement with said ratchet, and

means. controlled by said first mentioned arm 4. In a door controllerthe combination of an arm having a rockable extension, a second armpivotally connected with said extension, ratchet mechanism operable toprevent pivotal movement between said extension and said second arm inone direction, means responsive to relative rocking movement betweensaid first named arm and said extension for rendering said ratchetmechanism effective or inefiective, and means for controlling relativemovement between said first named arm and said extension.

5. In a door controller the combination of an arm having a rockableextension, a second arm pivotally connected with said extension, ratchetmechanism operable to prevent pivotal movement between said extensionand said second arm in one direction, and means responsive to certainsequential movements of said first named arm relative to said extensionto render said ratchet mechanism effective and also responsive tocertain other sequential movements of said first named arm relative tosaid extension to render said ratchet mechanism inefiective.

6. In a door controller the combination of a door closer, a ratchet, apawl engageable with said ratchet to control said closer, and meansresponsive to manipulation of said door for advancing or withdrawingsaid pawl into or out of engagement with said ratchet to therebyalternatively hold the door in any of a plurality of open positions orpermit the same to close.

7. In a door controller the combination of two parts connected to a doorand door frame, respectively, and relatively movable in response tomovement of the door, a ratchet on one of said parts, a coacting pawlmovable with the other of said parts, and means movable relative to bothof said parts in response to manipulation of the door for advancing orwithdrawing said pawl into or out of coacting engagement with saidratchet to thereby alternatively hold the door in any of a plurality ofopen positions or permit the same to close.

8. In a door controller the combination of two parts connected to a doorand door casing, respectively, and relatively movable in response tomovement of the door, an element movably connected with both of saidparts, a ratchet on one of said parts, a coacting pawl movable with theother of said parts and means responsive to rela-v tive movement betweensaid element and said other of said parts for advancing or withdrawingsaid pawl into or out of coacting engagement with said ratchet.

9. In a door controller the combination of two parts connected to a doorand door casing, respectively, and relatively movable in response tomovement of the door, an element rockably connected with both of saidparts, means for frictionally resisting relative movement between saidelement and one of said parts, a ratchet on said last mentioned part, apawl on said element, and means responsive to relative movement betweensaid element and the other of said parts for advancing or withdrawingsaid pawl into or out of coacting relation with said ratchet.

ARTHUR J. BAYLEY.

